Jesus is coming! The Comfort and Call of Advent continues:
Advent I
Ø The Comfort: Jesus our Peace.
Ø The Call: Be Ready.
Advent II
Ø The Comfort: Jesus our Judge.
Ø The Call: Repent.
Advent III
Ø The Comfort: Jesus our Healing.
Ø The Call: Be Steadfast.
This fourth and final week of Advent we reflect on the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23).
(Let’s pause and marvel for a moment that our first Sunday in our new building we read the very Scriptures from which come our name and vocation: Immanuel—God with us for the sake of others! Our Father’s timing yet again is impeccable.)
In both Isaiah and Matthew the birth of this child is a sign that God is going to save his people. The people of Israel did not envision God’s “salvation” as a promise of going to Heaven instead of Hell. They expected God’s salvation to be an intervention in their current situation, deliverance from people and circumstances causing their bondage and suffering. Jesus entered into their world to bring that deliverance, but in profound yet very unexpected ways. The question was, would they receive him as their savior, if the salvation he offered differed from their desires?
And so we have the Comfort and Call of Advent IV. The Comfort: Jesus our Savior. The Call: Receive Him.
How wonderful it is that we get to encounter Jesus this week in our new building—our Mission Outpost, our Worship House, our home away from Home. Come and join us.
Your Pastor in Christ
P.S. I want to emphasize the importance of praying for the calling of our next three Vestry members. I encourage you to have at least two parts to your prayer: 1. Holy Spirit, please guide us into selecting the people Jesus is calling into this important role. 2. Father, are you calling me? Read below for more details. Note at the end of the Vestry Nominations announcement there is a link to the application, and a link to Cheryl Timmon’s wonderful invitation to consider being nominated. Please review both!
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